


Ghosts

by storyhaus



Category: Nash Bridges (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 20:10:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13325601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storyhaus/pseuds/storyhaus
Summary: Nash and team are on the trail of killers...with a little help from a ghost?





	Ghosts

Nash Bridges Story

GHOSTS

"So Inger agreed to go back to Sweden for a visit with her mother? She left you in charge of building decisions?" Nash Bridges, Captain of Special Investigations Unit, S.I.U. for short of the San Francisco Police Department said to his partner Joe Dominguez.

"Yeah inger trusts me! Of course she already went over everything with the contractor before she left."

"I figured as much Bubba." Nash laughed.

He flipped open his cell phone as it rang and listened then hung up.

"Robbery, homicide at a convenience store."

"They want S.I.U. on it?"

"Chamberlain. It'll be on the front page by tonight."

"The press is probably already there." Nash agreed as they headed to the scene, red light strobing. 

They pulled up at the crime scene and as Nash predicted there was a media circus that swarmed them. Several uniformed officers hustled them inside.

Blood was spattered on the floor and a few racks holding snack food.

Nash bent down and lifted the sheet of a victim, a young caucasian girl.

"Probably Kim Dent, her boyfriend was the clerk, Eduardo Juarez." Joe supplied reading from an officers notebook.

"How many?" Nash asked.

"Four total. Chamberlain's in the back. It also looks like more than one shooter. So far three different casings have been recovered." Joe answered handing the notebook back to the officer. "Third victim's Willie Piper, African-American, driver's license says he's sixty-nine."

"Alright, check the surveillance tapes--"

"Captain, this is the owner, Padred El Nesh." An officer interrupted.

"There are no surveillance tapes, the camera stopped working two days ago. I only brought it last month and it stopped working. The company promised to have it fixed by tomorrow." The man said sorrowfully.

"Joe, get Harv and Babcock on that angle. Who found them?"

"Anonymous call to the station, nobody was here when we arrived." The officer answered.

"We got a witness but no way to find them." Joe sighed.

"A witness is good but we still need solid evidence Bubba. Have Cassidy and Rachel run a check on the clerk and his girlfriend, you take Mister Piper here and I'll check him." Nash nodded toward Chamberlain's body.

"I'll call it in." Joe nodded pulling his phone out as Nash took a look at Chamberlain's body.

Nash shook his head and slipped his sunglasses back on as he stood.

"Let's get to it." He said leading Joe back outside to the swarm of press clamoring for a statement. 

He ignored them and they climbed into the 'cuda to drop Joe back at the station.

 

Once Joe was left at the boat Nash headed to Nob Hill, where Royce Chamberlain had a palacial estate. 

The man was a movie producer who preferred to live there as opposed to Hollywood.

Nash wondered if it had to do with a scandal featuring an underage starlet that hit all the newspapers six months back.

He pulled up to the gate and pressed the buzzer.

'Who is it?'

"Captain Nash Bridges, San Francisco P.D."

'One moment please.'

He let the engine idle as he waited for the gate to open which it did slowly. He let it open all the way then drove up to the house.

The door opened before he was all the way up the steps and was greeted by a maid.

"I need to speak with Mrs. Chamberlain." He said showing her his badge.

"Please follow me." The maid nodded and led him through the foyer and livingroom to the terrace. "Mrs. Chamberlain will be with you shortly."

"Thank you." He nodded removing his sunglasses and taking in the view of the city that was amazing.

"Captain, I assume you're here about my husband's murder."

He turned to see an attractive, smartly dressed woman in her early forties step onto the patio.

"Yes ma'am, you have my condolensces."

"Thank you, do you have any suspects?"

"That's why I'm here, I need to know if your husband had any enemies?"

"Enemies?" She chuckled, "Captain, half of Hollywood hated my husband, but I was under the impression it was a robbery gone awry."

"It's still early in the investigation. Did your husband have any fights or arguments with anyone the last couple of days?"

She poured herself a drink and offered him one which he declined.

"I do recall hearing him on the phone last week...he was yelling at someone telling them they had better do as he says or they would regret it."

"I'll subpoena the records from the phone company--"

"I dialed star sixty-nine after he left, it was Paul Anders. He's a director working...I guess was is more appropriate now, on Royce's latest film. Which will never be finished."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have no intention of backing it."

"Well, thank you for you're time."

"If it was a random murder what are the chances of finding the killer?"

"We've been known to solve a case from time to time." He answered redonning his sunglasses. "I'll see myself out." He added and left.

He pulled his phone out as he slid into the Barracuda.

"It's Bridges, get me an address on Paul Anders." He requested of the officer who answered the phone at headquarters.

He started the engine while he waited.

"Yeah, got it, thanks Bubba."

He closed the phone and left for Oakland.

 

"Hey Joe, everybody at Eye-Works looks clean but we're gonna run the families, friends, associates, etc. of the crew who installed the camera." Babcock said as he and Harvey arrived back at the boat.

"Okay. We can cross off Willie Piper, I didn't find anyone who wanted to hurt him. Nash, Cassidy and Rachel haven't reported in yet so if you find anything let me know and I'll relay it to Nash.

The partners nodded and went to their desks.

 

Cassidy and Rachel solemnly walked to the car.

"Daddy always said dealing with the families was the hardest part of the job." Cassidy sighed once Rachel started the car.

"it's especially hard when they're young. Those kids had their whole lives ahead of them. We'll have to look into the gang Mrs. Juarez said was pressuring her son to join."

"Let's call Scott Starr, he's with the Juvenile Task Force, he should be able to fill us in on the Diamond Backs." Cassidy replied as they drove away.

 

"I understand you and Royce Chamberlain had words over the phone last week?"

"Nothing unusual about that." Paul Anders chuckled as he lit a cigarette.

"So you two argued often?" Nash asked.

"Ever since we joined to do this film." Anders nodded.

"Mrs. Chamberlain said this film is dead in the water...she doesn't intend to back it."

"No surprise there. They argued all the time about the money he put into the project...until it doubled her money. I wouldn't be surprised if she had him offed."

"What makes you say that Bubba?"

"I'm sure you saw the papers, the underage starlet...she wasn't the first to be subject to his roving eyes and hands...of course Mrs. Chamberlain was no saint either. The court battle would have been ugly and a waste of money so they lived in the same house but led separate lives."

"You seem to know a lot about their personal lives." Nash eyed him.

"I keep my eyes and ears open." Anders shrugged.

"How much does thos place cost you Bubba?"

"A hell of a lot more than you'll ever make Captain Bridges."

"What are you going to do now that you're out of a job?"

"No need to worry about me...my contract says I get paid whether the film gets made or not."

"Nice contract." Nash frowned at him.

"It is. Also makes me a murder suspect doesn't it? Why would I kill and old man and two kids as well?"

"Throw us off the track. Don't leave town Bubba." Nash said headng for the door.

 

"We've got a list of the Diamond Backs, the gang that Eduardo Juarez was being pressured to join." Cassidy told Joe as she and Rachel returned to the converted river barge they used at their headquarters.

"Check out their alibi's, Anyone who looks suspicious gets their butts hauled down here and questioned . Have Harvey and Babcock split the list with you." Joe ordered.

"Right." Rachel nodded and they went to find the men to share the task with them.

 

Nash stopped at a red light and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in thought. Mrs. Chamberlain and Paul Anders were both viable suspects, he thought and glanced up.

"Son of a --"

The light changed and he headed back across the bridge and to the murder scene.

 

"Hey Joe, we found a possible link." Cassidy said as she and Harvey appeared.

"One of our Eye-Works tech guys has a brother...guess who's gang he belongs to." Harvey said.

"Pick 'em both up." Joe ordered.

"We're on it." Harvey nodded and they left.

Joe picked up his phone and called nash's number but got a busy signal.

 

Nash slowed down as he reached the corner where the convenience store stood. He smiled looking up and picked up his phone.

"This is Bridges, I want DMV tapes from the traffic cams at our scene, check them from 9:30 to 10:15 this morning." He ordered and hung up confident they would have it ready by the time he returned to the boat.

We might just have gotten our killer on tape, he smiled as he drove away.

 

Once Nash parked in the S.F.P.D. lot, he went directly to a screening room where an officer was waiting to cue the tape for him.  
He settled into a chair and glanced at the nervous officer, new graduate, he realized, as she worked.  
Turning his attention back to the screen as the tape started he forgot all about the woman.

"Gotcha!" He smirked as the tape showed him four juveniles enter the store.

He sat forward as the camera caught something else.

"Back it up a bit." He ordered, "Freeze it!"

"Can you get me a blown-up still of the four gang members and this guy? Also check the records to see if a call was made from that pay phone during the robbery. Send it to the S.I.U., Captain Bridges." He ordered.

"Yes sir." She nodded and quickly removed the tape to see to his orders.

"Thanks for your help." He smiled at her as he left.

His phone rang as he reached the 'cuda.

"Bridges."

'Hey, I think we got our guys." Joe told him what Cassidy and Harvey came up with.

"I'm on my way back. We might have some pictures of our shooters from a DMV camera."

'I like these kinds of cases.' Joe chuckled and hung up.

"So do I Bubba, as long as they can be put in a nice, neat file stamped case closed." Nash said and closed his phone.

 

"We brought them in separately." Joe told Nash when he arrived.

"Let's talk to the Eye-Works one first."

Joe nodded and led him to a table where the man was seated with Cassidy keeping an eye on him.

"I want a lawyer." He said seeing them men.

"You feeling guilty about something Bubba?" Nash asked sitting.

"I know how you cops work, guy has a record and you decide he's the guilty of every crime!"

"Four people are dead man!" Joe replied.

"I didn't kill nobody! I wasn't anywhere near that damn store!"

"You tell anybody the surveillance camera's were down at the store?" Nash asked.

"No!"

"Not even you family over breakfast or dinner Javier?" Joe inquired.

"Yeah, I've talked about it but my momma didn't go and shoot nobody!" Javier snarked.

"Maybe not your mom Bubba..." Nash replied and stood nodding to Joe and the men headed across the boat.

"Hey! I still want my lawyer!" Javier called after them.

"We'll be back Bubba." Nash replied.

 

Harvey nodded as Nash and Joe appeared to talk to the next suspect, Emilio, Javier's brother.

"So Bubba, you want to tell us how the shooting went down?"

"Was it just a hit on Eduardo Juarez that ended in four murders or what homey?" Joe asked.

"I ain't your homey!" Eduardo spat at him.

"Well your homey's are gonna end up in jail with you Bubba." Nash retorted, "Think about how long you're going to prison for multiple murders." He added and walked away with Joe.

"You ain't got no proof!" Eduardo snorted.

"Oh, I got proof alright Bubba and if you had half a brain you'd be begging to cut a deal and turn the rest of your posse in." Nash answered leaving the delinquent to worry about it.

"How long do we let him stew?" Joe asked when they were out of earshot.

"Shouldn't be too much longer." Nash answered and settled at his desk to work.

 

"Captain Bridges?"

"Yeah Bubba?"

"The information you requested from DMV." A uniformed officer handed the envelope to him.

"Thank you." Nash smiled, "Stew's up Joe."

The men walked back to Emilio.

"Bubba, you got one chance to cut a deal. These are surveillance pictures from a DMV camera that will place you at the scene of the murders...I haven't looked at them yet...I'm giving you a chance to name the others. Five."Nash counted turning the envelope over, "four." He unsealed it. "Three. When I get to one the deal is up." He said pulling the folder out.

"Okay! Okay! I'll give you their names! I didn't shoot them! I just thought it was going to be a robbery."

"Homey, take his statement." He motioned to the uniformed officer and walked away with Joe.

"So who did we get on film?" Joe asked as they reached Nash's desk.

"Let's see." Nash started to answer when Joe's desk phone rang.

"Dominguez." He answered, "Inger!" He grinned and sat down to talk to his wife.

Nash made sure he wasn't watching then opened the envelope. The firsy photo made him smile, as he saw clearly it was Emilio Torres and his three fellow gangbangers.

"A picture is worth a thousand words...or at twenty years in state prison Bubba." He murmured.

He pulled the records he'd requested for the payphone near the store, a call went out from that phone at 9:42 this morning...to 911. Looks like we found our good samaritan. Let's see who you are Bubba..." Nash thought laying the papers aside and reaching for the last photo his phone rang. "Yeah, Bridg--" He broke off as he looked at the photo.  
"What?" He asked the caller blinking, "Oh...yeah...we're about ready to round up the suspects Mister Mayor. Yeah, I'll keep you informed." Nash said absently and slowly hung-up. The rest of the boat faded away as he looked at the photo.

"Hey Nash, we got the names of Emilio's posse." Harvey said drawing him out of his reverie.

"Uh, okay, let's round them up.." He ordered slipping the photo into his desk drawer and locking it before he stood.

"Let's go Bubba." Nash called to Joe as they passed.

 

The arrests were quick and thankfully routine, which one couldn't always count on when the perps had weapons at least as powerful as your own if not moreso.

 

"Hey, you heading home Nash?" Joe asked stopping at his desk.

"Soon as I finish up this report."

"See you tomorrow then."

"Night Bubba."

Nash closed the folder and made sure none of his team was around then unlocked his drawer and pulled the good samaritan's picture out. It was a man with very short dark hair and a lightly grown beard. Nash stared at the man and shook his head.  
It wasn't possible to have an exact twin was it? If not then he was looking at a ghost...and Nash Bridges did not believe in ghosts. "If you aren't a ghost then I am going to find you Bubba and find out what the hell is going on." He said rolling the photo up and sliding it into his jacket pocket as he stood to head home.

 

In San Diego the good samaritan was checking his boat charter schedule for the next day when he heard footfall on the deck, he turned expectantly as two men in suits descended the stairs.

"You were in Frisco." Suit one said.

"It couldn't be helped." The man answered, "I had a client to meet."

"You involved yourself in a police situation." The second suit frowned.

"I couldn't stand by and do nothing." He replied.

"The S.F.P.D. could try and find the caller." Suit one glared at him.

"They only tape 911 calls." The man answered reassuringly, "There's no way for them to find out it was me."

"We're still going to keep an eye on them." Suit two said.

The man nodded thoughtfully as he ran a hand up and down his chest for a moment.

"Did Nash catch them?" He asked.

Suit one handed him the San Francisco Chronicle.

"S.F.P.D. Arrests Four in Convenience Store Homicides." He read the headline, "Good." The man smiled as he scanned the article.

"Try not to leave San Diego again Juan." Suit one ordered.

The man frowned at him.

"We're only telling you this for your own good. Sirolo has a long reach. If he even suspects you're still alive..." Suit two said.

"The last bullet I took will be nothing compared to what he'll do to me this time. I got it the first two hundred times you said it." Juan sighed rubbing his chest where he'd been shot.

"I know this it hard--" Suit one tried to placate him.

"Do you?!? Do you have to let your family, friends...fiance, believe you're dead?" Juan snapped and threw the paper down,  
"I couldn't put her in harms way. Better she live without me than wonder when and where Sirolo would come gunning for me...or her." He said softly fingering the small crucifix he wore around his neck. "Guess you guys got lucky when I got shot." He half smiled at them. "How's my family?"

"Safe." Suit two assured him.

"Good. How long does ths charade go on?"

"Until Sirolo dies...he's pretty sick from what we hear." Suit one answered.

"What about his son?" Juan asked.

"The kid is in maximum, the elders never thought much of him so he'll be of no consequence when the time comes." Suit two answered.

"Can we ask you a question?" Suit one asked.

Juan nodded.

"Why Juan Dominguez?"

"Juan is John, John the Baptist went through many trials...Dominguez because I was drowning and one man, Joe Dominguez, threw me a rope and pulled me to safety. I wouldn't be here at all if not for him." Evan Cortez, former S.I.U. officer said and crossed his heart saying a silent prayer for the man who had saved him from killing himself and showed him a higher power to give him hope, salvation, and forgiveness.

"It's late, we'd better be going." Suit two said.

"Remember, no more trips." Suit one admonished lightly and the men started for the steps.

"We'll be in touch." Suit two said and they left him.

Evan picked up the paper and smiled at the picture of Cassidy Bridges, his fiance, who was in the background of the photo.  
"You did it Cass. You're a cop now...please stay safe."

Evan closed the paper and said a prayer to keep his friends and family safe from harm then closed the cabin doors, turned out the lights and headed to bed knowing no one would ever know he lived until the Sirolo family was put away once and for all.

**Author's Note:**

> I hated that they killed Evan off so I made him live on!


End file.
